Category: Life
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And That’s A Wrap for 2023
Gerry is watching Jr. hockey on TV in the living room and Molly is sitting on his lap and enjoying a collagen chew. What to do? What do do? I thought of going into my woman cave and reading or writing this blog post or doing some much-needed tidying and organizing, but it’s cold in…
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Welcome 2024
It’s a quiet day around the old homestead as we ease into the first day/week/month of a brand new shiny year. I was up at absurdly early thirty with Molly, who decided that, since she couldn’t stay up to ring in the new year, she’d wake up a few hours after it dawned. I did…
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Joy Sparkers Abound
What a great week it’s been. I was inspired to jot down a few things that have sparked joy in me the past couple of days and thought I’d share it here. A good haircut (at last!). Seeing and hearing kids playing outside and wearing shorts and t-shirts. Flocks of Canada Geese returning from their…
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Good Friday
Molly and I were up early as usual. We woke to snow—one last (I hope) blast from Old Man Winter. His days are numbered; next week looks stellar in terms of weather. I watched part of last night’s Maundy Thursday service online this morning, thankful for technology. More thankful for Jesus. It’s after 2 p.m.…
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Down By the Bay
I’m in Kamloops visiting our daughter and granddaughter for a few days. Totally lucked out on the weather! Yesterday, Laurinda and I went for a float (oh, pure bliss!) and then meandered down to Cooney Bay. We wandered, took photographs (mostly me), and looked for pretty stones (mostly Laurinda). It was simply a wonderful afternoon!…
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Retirement Anniversary
Today, I’m marking ten years since I retired from the company I worked for for 25 years. If memory serves, my official job title at the time I left was HRMS Team Lead. Or HR Business Analyst. Or something to that effect. All I know for certain (thanks to Facebook memories) is that ten years…
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Letters From the Afterlife
A few weeks after she died, I opened her mailbox and found a letter addressed to my mom written in her own handwriting. Yesterday, I read a sample from Joy Williams’ short story collection, Ninety-Nine Stories of God and the first story, Postcard, reminded me of that day. It’s very short. I tried to find…
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My Word for 2024, And a Few of my Favourite Things
I was on the fence about whether to choose a word for this year, but this one has been circling around in my mind for weeks. It comes unbidden. A reminder. A desire for more—or less, as it is. Simplify. It’s my intentional focus for this season of my life. Before we moved to Moose…
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Things I Like . . .
I am taking a course in short story writing with Joyce Carol Oates on Masterclass. One afternoon, I poked around on her Substack and came across a post called What I like. What I like is her creativity in writing it, so I borrowed the idea and exercised my own creative muscles by penning (or…
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What’s the Difference Between Simple and Convenient?
The other day, I mentioned to my daughter that I was browsing the Epicure site looking for a particular blend of seasoning. Gerry and I had enjoyed a simple meal from Chef’s Plate the night before and I wanted to replicate it. Buying this blend, I told her, aligned with my chosen word for 2024—simplicity.…
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Soupy Fog. And Grace.
It an unusually gray day here in Moose Jaw; one of the few in which we probably won’t see even a sliver of sunshine. I went downtown earlier, dodging potholes like I was playing Mario Kart. One of the streets in our city, Coteau, was deemed to be the worst street in Saskatchewan last year.…
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Just a Small Saucer For Me, Please
I’ve had a busy week and finally feel like I can catch my breath—or, more accurately, breathe. Clearing things off my virtual and physical desk helped, as did tidying my office and tending to my overflowing email inbox. (Apologies to those I’ve been tardy in responding to.) This morning, the sun is shining, the washer…